Stitch Block Cowl

Knitters who have made their fair share of garter stitch scarves, ribbed hats and stockinette sweaters, will understand the hankering to shake things up a bit. I love the rhythm and certainty of the basic stitches, but every now and then I relish the challenge of stitch patterns that unfold in surprising ways, that teach me yet something else about the wondrous potential of knits and purls!

I’ve done a lot of knitting in my life, so much that I sometimes wonder if there are any stones left unturned, but this Stitch Block Cowl took me into new terrain. I’ve knit colorwork and I’ve knit “in the row below”, but I’ve never done the two together. It’s terrifically easy and proves, once again, that knitting is inexhaustibly interesting.

Each of the three stitch patterns in our Stitch Block Cowl employ this simple technique of knitting stitches in the row below (don’t worry, we explain what that means in the pattern with photos and everything!). This is ultimately a lot like slipping stitches and has the same effect of creating a very cozy fabric with a whole lot of squish and depth. Add to that the remarkably soft merinos of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist and Madelinetosh’s Tosh Merino and you’ve got one voluptuous cowl!

Ready to take your own journey into uncharted knitting territory? Make sure you pack one of Purl Soho’s Stitch Block Cowl Bundles, in this warm and sunny Yellow or any other of our pretty palettes. And don’t forget to send a postcard! -Whitney

Gray

You will also need…

A US 7, 24-inch circular needles. (You need a circular needle because one of the stitch patterns requires you to slide the stitches from one of the needle to the other.)

Gauge

5 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch, using the Color A.

4 stitches = 1 inch in any of the three stitch patterns.

Size

Finished Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches wide by 60 inches around

NOTE: To change the width of the finished cowl, cast on any odd number and follow the directions as written.

Note

All three of these stitch patterns use the technique of “knitting into the row below.” Here’s how to do it…

Insert the right needle into the center of the stitch below the first stitch on the left needle. The place to insert the right needle is indicated below by the arrow.

And here is the needle going into that place…

Now knit as normal, bringing the working yarn around the right needle in a counter clockwise direction and pulling through a stitch. When you allow the stitch to fall off the left needle, it will actually be two stitches: the one from the previous row and the one from the row before that. It may feel like you’re doing something dreadfully wrong, but if you’ve properly inserted the right needle, then all will be well!

Pattern

Block #1, Rambler Pattern

Here’s the right side of the finished Rambler Pattern:

And here’s the wrong side:

With Color A, use a Provisional Cast On to cast on 51 stitches. (Why a provisional cast on? So that at the end of the project you can graft together the two ends, avoiding a seam. However, if you find a Provisional Cast On a bit overwhelming, then just use a regular long tail cast on, and when you’re done, you can sew the two ends together. Your cowl will still be beautiful!)

If You Used a Provisional Cast On

Put the Provisional Cast On stitches onto a second (preferably smaller) needle.

Thread the Color A tail onto a tapestry needle. With wrong sides together (being careful to not twist the cowl), hold the two circular needles parallel to each other and use the Kitchener Stitch to graft together the cowl’s two ends.

If You Used a Long Tail Cast On

…ending with Row 5.

Next Row (ws): With Color A, bind off in purl.

Cut all the yarns, leaving a 32-inch Color A tail.

Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle and with wrong sides together and making sure the cowl isn’t twisted, sew together the two ends. Sew under one cast on stitch and then across under a bind off stitch, continuing back and forth until you’re done!

Either Way…

Weave in the remaining ends and gently block your cowl, if desired. Then wrap yourself up!

257 Responses to Stitch Block Cowl

Hi there! I just received the yarn for this pattern and I’m really excited to start! I am stuck however right out of the gate!

I used a different color yarn for the provisional cast on and followed the instructions for row 1. When I get to row 2, I am having a hard time finding the “row below”. Any tips on how to find the row below with so few rows?
Thank you!

Thank you so much for your question. I completely understand, the first row can be a bit tricky. The best way I have found to work into the row below (with so few rows worked) is to pull the fabric down with your hand so that you can really see the stitches below. You won’t have many options of where to put your needle at this point. You will want to put your needle into the stitch directly below the stitch on the needle. I hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Hello! Thanks for your pattern. I’ve finished Block 1 with no problems but am seriously confused in starting Block 2.
If we are knitting on the WS, then we are getting the “bumps” on the RS and looking at the pictures this just doesn’t seem right. I’m also worried that when I join in colour B on the WS it’s going to be visible on the RS of the fabric.
Have I done sonething wrong?

Thanks for writing us. You want to be sure to do your provisional cast on with a contrasting color so you can see it. Also, if you are doing the one step method you will only need to cast on what you need and then chain a few stitches to differentiate which end is which. For the two sep method you will also chain a few more than your cast on.

Hi, I’m finally getting to the 3rd section of the cowl and I don’t know if I’m reading the pattern right or not, but my question is, at the end of section 2 it says ending with row 5 which is a right side row, but then the set up row for section 3 is a wrong side row, so do the ws and the rs end of switching or is the set up row for the 3rd section supposed to happen in place of row 5 on section 2?

Thanks for writing us! Hopefully I can clear this up! For section two you will end on row 5, which is a right side row. Row 5 says to not turn the work because of the stitch pattern in section two, but when switching to section three you will turn the work after row 5 and the wrong side will be facing. I hope this clears things up! Happy knitting!

I made a couple of mistakes in the checked rose portion and was wondering if there was any way to put in a lifeline after the fact. I haven’t been able to figure it out after spending a ton of time examining!

Thanks for writing in! A lifeline in a knit below pattern is tricky, but doable if you are super careful about where you are threading your waste yarn. I suggest looking up on YouTube some tutorials about how to rip back “fisherman’s rib” or “knit below” before trying to take apart your work. If this doesn’t work, it’s probably best to have someone help you in person, like someone at a knitting shop, as this can be a pretty tricky process. If you’re in the NYC area, drop by Purl and we’ll help you out!

When the pattern states ending with row 14, does that mean I knit row 14 or stop after I’ve knitted 13? I’ve practiced this pattern a couple of times and have had issues with block 2 and I want to get it right since I purchased your yarn.

Hi Purl Soho
I’m loving my cowl (winter in Australia). I’d love to try using the checked rose stitch in a project where I’ll be knitting in the round. Before I stretch my grey matter around trying to convert it, I thought I’d ask if it is indeed possible? Do you happen to have instructions for this? Nothing came up in my google search.
Thanks heaps, I hope you can help. Xx Fi

So glad that you are loving your cowl! I have checked quite a few resources and I have been unable to find a way to convert this stitch pattern to in the round. We did have one customer in the store who attempted it but I never heard back about his results. Additionally, I did a bunch of swatching and I am unable to recreate the stitch pattern in the round successfully. You can certainly give it a go! Please do let us know if you figure out the puzzle!

Hello! Just bound off in purl as I used the long tail cast on…wondering if you could reference a link on seaming with wrong sides together? I usually seam using mattress stitch…Wondering if that’s an option as well?

Glad you made it to the end! If you bound off in purl then you essentially want to “whip stitch” the two ends together. Holding your pieces wrong sides together, you will insert your tapestry needle into from the far side of the cast on and pull it towards you, going through both cast on legs. Next you’ll insert your needle into the adjacent cast on stitch and pull the yarn towards you. Keep doing this until you’ve sewn the whole piece! Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

Hello! I have almost completed Block A. I want to put in a lifeline. I have never used a lifeline before. Would you suggest I put it in the last row of Block A or first row of Block B? Likewise moving from Block B to Block C which one would you use-last row of Block B or first one of Block C? Thanks for your help!

Great idea! A lifeline can be a life saver! In this case, I would suggest putting the life line through the last row of a section. That way, if you have difficulties in the next section, you can pull back the whole section and start from the beginning of that section!

Thank you for your question! I would put a lifeline in the first row of the new block you are working on. Sometimes its also helpful to put a lifeline in midway through the block. Let me know if you have any other questions about this!

So….after ripping out the scarf a number of times I got frustrated (multiple times). I’m now using the yarn to make a scarf in the English rose tween stitch. It’s coming out quite nice but I’m concerned about quantity of yarn. I ordered the kit. Can you help me with yardage since its seems to call for equal amounts of each color? I think I may need to order more yarn in the other two colors (not white).

I am absolutely stumped. I’ve had this beautiful cowl finished for months now, but I cannot figure out how to convert the provisional cast on to live stitches. I cast on one row using my crochet hook, then went straight into the first section’s pattern. When I look at the stitches on the waste yarn, I can’t figure out where to put my needle to grab the stitches. (I’ve even swatched mini versions 3 times, and still no luck.) I’d love a visual to see where to pick up those tricky stitches. If one isn’t available I think I’m ready to sew the two ends on my sewing machine and steek. It’s a beautiful cowl, and I’m dying to wear it.

I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this part! The stitches you want to pick up are directly below your waste yarn. You’ll weave your needle in and out of each stitch and when done you’ll rip out the waste. If you are having a hard time visualizing this, look at the provisional cast on and locate the bumps where your main yarn is meeting the waste. These bumps look like purl stitches in your main yarn and this is the stitch you want to pick up. If it’s too difficult to pick up these stitches, you can rip a few stitches of waste yarn out and string your body yarn stitches that popped out on to a needle. You’ll do this over and over again until you’ve restrung your entire cast on.

Thanks for writing in! Carrying colors together can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. For this lovely cowl and many other projects, I twist the yarns together a the beginning of each row where they are being carried up and this helps to hide them in the selvedge a little better.

I’m trying to work on Block #1, but I can not seem to achieve the same texture as yours (raised knit stitches, depressed in-between)! I’m hoping to send a picture (I can’t figure out how to attach one here) and get some advice on whether I’m doing the stitching wrong, or whether something about my technique is causing the block to be more “flat” looking than yours.

I was wondering if you could provide a video or photo to show the best way to switch between colors for block 2 & 3. I’m working on block 2 and my edges look awful. I’m hoping to make another as a gift and would like it to look a little better. Thank you!!
Hillary

Thanks for writing in! While we do not have a video or photo for this technique at present, I think that I can help! When carrying colors up the side of your work, it is helpful to twist the working yarn around the yarn that you are carrying up along the edge each time you come to the right side of the front of the work. If you twist in the same direction each time, you should come up with a pleasing edge. You can get a glimpse of it if you check out the last picture before the materials list.

Thanks for writing in! Row gauge can certainly be a challenge! To get the tidy transitions that you see in the images, you should end on the row that we suggest. However, you can certainly call it quite early if you are happy with the look. I would just be sure that you are beginning a new section on the same side to maintain the right side and wrong side textures. Depending on the block and how much longer your section is than noted, you may be able to simply cut out a repeat and end on the row suggested.

Great question! After chaining a few more stitches than you will need and cutting the yarn and pulling it through, you will use your knitting needle to pick up the back of each bump until you have the correct number of stitches on the needle. Once this is complete, you will begin with row 1 of the pattern. There is no need to knit an initial row before doing so. Additionally, beginning with row 1, will give you a clean join when you come to finishing off this lovely cowl!

Thanks for writing in! I think that I can help! You increase 1 stitch in the set-up row on the second stitch that you work. You will knit the first stitch of the row and then knit into the front and back of the next stitch thereby increasing by 1 stitch!